Improved railway-rail fastening



tbtittd :tiene latent (tithe.

EDWIN R; SHEPARD, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA,

Letters .Patent No. 94,7 83, dated September 14, 1869 miteflatcd August 26, 1869.

The Schedule referred to in these Lette-rs Patent and making part of the same To all whom it may concernl Be it known that I, EDWIN It. SHEPARD, of the city of Scranton, vin the count-y of Luzerne, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Fastening-Devices for Compound Railroad-Rails, Railroad-Chairs, and for such other purposes as they may he adapted to, ot which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, iu which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail, with the locknut applied;

v Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same, through the line a: y

Figure 3 represents the bolt;

Figure 4 is the key used for locking the lint;

Figure 5 shows the nut after it has been locked;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of arail with'the other devices applied;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the same;

Figure S represents the gib;

Figure 9 is a transverse section of' the same figure, through the line x y; v

Figure 10 is a transverse `section of same figure, through the line l 2; and

Figure 1l a sectional view of one -ot the devices.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all ofthe figures.

My invention is designed to prevent any motion,

either lateral or veitical, between the parts of a compotmd railroad-rail, or between the ordinary rails and the chairs, or other means employed to confine in propel' position the ends ot' said rails, except, however, that provision has been made for a limited but certain depression of the head of a compound rail, relative to its base, as I will now proceed to explain.

Experience has proven that a rail sntiers but little wear from the wheels of 'a heavily-laden cai-being rolled rapidly upon' it, so long as the rail itself remains firmly seated upon its support or bed, because the pressure is distributed gradually throughout both the rail and bed; but if, when the rail is loose, and sprung up at the end, as it frequently is from variouscauses, a wheel is rolled quickly upon it, it (the rail) is forced down upon its seat with a concussion, and is soon pounded out, for it occupies the same relation to the wheel andthe chair, or, it' a compound rail, to the wheel and the lower section or base of the rail, that a piece of iron does to the hammer and anvil.

Now, to avoid this result, it is necessary to prevent the recoil of the lhead of the rail after the wheel has left it. This I accomplish by the following device:

In figs. 7 and 10 D is the head of the rail, provided width a rib, d; D is the base of the rail, having a rib, d.

Both heal and base are provided with a groove,the

pitch of which corresponds with the bevelled cdges'of the ribs d el', as shown at i. The width of the grooves` relative tothat of the bevelled edge ofthe ribs, is such -that when the rails are first laid, the ribscannot touch the bottom of the grooves, but as the parts become worn, and perfectly seated to each other, they (the ribs) can settle further down into said grooves. Through the rib d' are perforations or slotsf; lig. 6, either round or square, and through the rib d are also slot-sj", elongated horizontally; said slots f have also a great-er diameter vertically than the slots f.

E is a key or bolt, provided at oneend with a slot, e, and'at the other end with an incline, c.

F is a gib, recessed on both sides, as at F' and F2, o. 8. p

I#These recesses should be ot' ditlcrent depths, t-oallow of diereut adjustments. y

H is an elliptic spring, slotted at or near its cent-re, at h.

In applying this device the rails should be laid tightly together, care having been taken to punch the slots f e and j", so that when the rail is laid the bottoms of both slots shall be nearly on the same horizontal line. It is advisable, however, that the slots in the rib d should be a little below those in the rib d', so that in case the parts of the rail do not t perfect-ly we can. still insert the bolts, then insert the bolt or keyE from the outside ot' the rib d. This keyshould iit .closely in the slot f, which will allow said key to be inserted until the incline e' reaches or barely enters the slot j". Next slip the elliptic spring H'over the key or bolt E, and put in the gib F.

It will be readily seen, that when the head D is forced 4downward relatively to the base D', the key E will be drawn through the slots f and j, bymeans of the spring H and gib F, the incline e following up, yso to speak, the depression of the head, e`ectuallypreventing its recoil or any looseness vertically between the head and base. i

To secure the parts against lateral motion, I have invented the following device:

'K is a bolt of the ordinary construction, slotted for the insertion of the gib F.

G is a washer, made wedging in forni.

y is a gain in said washer, otsuiiicient width to admitthe bolt K.

The washer G is recessed or concaved upon its iuner side, and ilat, or what is bett-er, corrugated upon its outer side, that is, upon the side toward the gib and from the rail.

In using this washer, I first thrust the bolt K through the slots in the ribs ot' the rails', and then put the gib F through the slot in the bolt, and drive the wedgewasher G tightly behind the gib.

Among the `advantages possessed by this washer is the certainty of its operation. Itiszslightly elastic, on

its return,'- and the cosenueut loosening 'of bolt-work,

which ordinarily results from a constant jarring.

`Another important advantage gainedin this con-v struction is the facility with which it may be tightened up'ai'ter the partsha-ve become loose from wear. A

' man, with a set-bar in one hand and a hammer in the other, can drive them down to their places almost as fast as he can walk along the track. K

For the purpose of still further securing the parts against lateral motion, I have invented a lock-nut, as follows: (See figs. lx too.)

A is the bolt, prouided with a groove or key-seat, a, extending its entire length. The'thread is cut'in any well-known manner.

B isa key, its under surface conforming to the seat a. The upper side of this key is in the form of a rib or feather, l). This feather should, however, extend only part ot' the length ot' the key, say about iarenough to reach'through the nut; the remaining pol-tien of the key should barely till the groove a.

The thickness of this feather is immaterial, but for convenience, it should be about thick enough to extend through the thread of the nut'wheu applied to the. bolt. p

rlhe uut() -is made of any desired shape, and provided with the ordinary thread;

In locking this nut upon a Jsolt, after it has been screwed on the desired distance, I take a-V-shaped dritt, and cut a groove or keyseat through the-thread on the inside ot' the nut, as VYseen atc, tig. cutting this seat exactly opposite the seat a in the bolt, and drive in the key B, which will hold the bolt and nut tirmly in their respective positions. v

This device is very cheap, because the key can be made by machinery about as cheap as common n ails, and the groove can be rolled in the bolt at the'rollingmill without incurring additional expense. It is also very convenient, inasmuch as the nut can be held or locked at any pointiof its rotation about the bolt.

Another importantpoint is this: lthe groove (l, renders the bolt practically ilat on one side, thus adapting it to be held from turning around while the nut is beingl screwed on, by any one otl the parts through ames which it- (the bolt) passes; this is many times very convenient, and dispenses with the use ot' but-tonheaded, or even* the ordinary square heads, enabling me to use in their stead round rivet-headed bolts, which are much more easily and cheaply made, owing to the lia-ture and condition ofthe parts to be bolted together. It is sometimes desirable to hold the bolt by means of the part next to the nut.r This can be done with my bolt without altering the shape of the rod from which it is made, either to accomplish that purpose, nor vet to ada-pt it for cutting the thread upon it, as would be necessary with a square bolt.

Another feature in my invention consists of the elliptic spriugL, tig. 11, )rovided with a slot, to receive the bolt llLa'nd also with a rib, Z, extending across its face, on a line intersecting the centre of said slot.

rlhe bolt Mis ot' any -usual or desired form, and has the ordinary thread or screwcuton the end.

N is a nut of any usual construction, except that it has a groove, n, or a series ot' grooves, across its inner face, each o'n a line intersecting the centre of the hole in' which the thread is cut, and of a size and form cor- 'responding to the size and formof the rib l on the spring.

It will be apparent, that whenever the nutshall have been screwed down, so as to hug the springL, the rib ll will snap into the groove n, and effectnally prevent the said nut from backing oti.

Having thus described my invention,

\Vhat L claim, and desire to` secure by Letters -Patent, is K y 1. lThe elliptic spring H, in combination with the key-bolt and gib. l

2. rlhe forked wedge-washer, whether corrugated upon one fac'efand concaved upon` the other, or liat upon one or both of its faces, Vand operating substantially as set forth'.

3. The circular bolt A, provided upon one side with a fiat or grooved key-seat extending the entire length` ot' said bolt, substantially assetiorth.

4. In combination with a compound rail, theelliptie spring `L, bolt M, and nut N.

EDWIN R. SHEPARD.

lVitnesses Gr.4 W. Massai', Homan CLUTE. 

